Jayden had found out he was going to be released the night before, but he hadn't told his brother. Instead, he asked if he could go in the morning, before visiting hours. He knew Jesse would probably be hanging around once he was allowed in, and Jayden didn't really want to see him. Instead when he was released, Jayden ordered a taxi and had himself driven home.

When he entered the house, he could smell breakfast cooking and hear the familiar sound of amiable chattering. His stomach gave a pitiful little growl at the cooking food, but Jayden had no intention of partaking in breakfast. He had dutifully eaten every meal they had fed him in the hospital even though it made him feel sick to his stomach to eat so much. It was just what he had to do to prove there was nothing wrong with him. Now that he was home, he could go back to doing what he wanted.

Jayden poked his head into the dining room, knocking gently on the wall with his knuckles. His head was not longer wrapped in bandages, but the small shaved area above his eye and the stitches in his skin still told of the ordeal he had been through. "Just letting you guys know I'm back," he said, clearly not inviting conversation with his tone. "I think I'll get some sleep."

Jesse had done his best to give Jayden his space, but he still wasn't going to apologize for caring about his brother. So he kept his distance, waiting in the waiting room in case Jayden doctors needed him.

He'd expected to get a call from the hospital to come and collect Jayden, so he was definitely surprised when he walked into the dining room. Mindful of the fact that they were both probably still a little angry, he just said, "Sure, Jay. Whatever you need."

Jayden had expected a fight or at the very least, a greeting. All he had wanted while he was on his way home, was to be able to escape into his room without Jesse making a big deal about it. Now that Jesse wasn't, Jayden was just a little bit crushed.

Oh god, what if Jesse hated him now? It was nothing more than he deserved anyway. Jayden had figured it would only take Jesse a little while to realise what a relentless waste of oxygen he was. His own father had figured it out, Jesse just hadn't seen him in so long he hadn't known.

It wouldn't be long before Jesse was treating him the same way Richard had. Jayden couldn't even be surprised.

Jesse just raised an eyebrow, not believing that for a minute. But instead he said, "Well there's eggs and sausage if you want some, if you're hungry later." He still had to figure out how to best approach the issues that Jay obviously had, but picking a fight didn't seek like the best idea, especially with Jay just out of the hospital.

Jayden shook his head, taking an unconscious step backwards, as if the food might come towards him and force him to eat it. "No, I- Y-you don't have to save any." Jesse had said he was glad Jayden was home and Jayden honestly didn't know how to respond.

Because he was hungry and sore and exhausted, Jayden chose to respond moodily.

"Yeah, I'm sure you really missed having to put up with the kid for a few days. I know you guys wish I wasn't here. You have all these secrets-"

"We moved into this house so fast and no one would tell me why. There's weird runes carved into the door, and I have no idea where you or Jesse work," Jayden shot back at them. "You guys don't tell me anything! I'll get a job when my head's healed and I can move out so you won't have to bother with me any more." He had his share of his dad's money, but it would be better to get a place knowing money was coming in.

"We do not 'put up with you', Jay," Jesse said, feeling his temper flare. "I want you here, I want to know that you're happy, healthy, and safe. I'm terribly sorry if you think that means we're keeping secrets and don't want you here. But I'm not sorry for any of the choices I made. I don't regret coming to get you, or moving into this house to keep us all safe. If you want y I get your own place, you're an adult and I can't stop you. But you don't have to go."

Jayden breathed out heavily through his nose and though he wanted to keep arguing that he was worthless and they would be better off without him, he was just too tired.

Instead of slinking off to his room, he sort of grumped over to the chair beside Jesse and slid into it. He slumped forward, his head resting on the table, before letting out a soft groan. "My head hurts," he said, his voice half pathetic, but sounding more like himself than he had in days. "Jesse? Can I have some tea?" Tea was okay. Tea wasn't food.

And he was asking for something, which he had taken months to learn in the first place.

"I'll bet," Jesse said softly. "Sure you can, Jay. Have some tea and sleep a little, and if you want to talk later or something, we can. I just want you to feel better." He was happy that Jayden was asking for things, he just wished a little food had been one of those things.

JJ jumped up to get the tea so Jesse didn't have to do it. "I know how you like it," she promised, scuttling to the kitchen.

Jayden, for his part, reached out for Jesse's hand and he pulled his brother closer, even though his head was still resting on the table until Jesse was right beside him. Then, with extraordinary effort, Jayden lifted his head and moved to lean against his other brother, his head on the other man's shoulder. "I don't like being alone," he admitted, even though he had been the one to throw Jesse out of his room. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"'M sorry I snapped," Jesse murmured. "You just hit your head and you looked out of it and I just...had to make sure you were OK. You don't have to be alone any more, Jay. You know you can stay as long as you want."

Jayden teared up at that, but he rushed to wipe at his eyes, hoping no one noticed. He wasn't very subtle, however, and everyone noticed. "I've had worse," Jayden admitted, though he had never had a head injury so severe before. He had beatings which hurt more. "A lot worse a lot of times."

JJ returned from the kitchen, steaming mug of tea in hand, just in time to hear that. She clicked her tongue and went to sit on the other side of him, plopping the mug in front of him for whenever he was ready. "You never should have had to go through that," JJ said, reaching up to rub Jayden's back.

"I did though," Jayden responded. "I think- I haven't hurt since I came here. And then- All of a sudden I hurt again and I panicked." It was a cop out, of course. There were so many more and deeper issues, but that was certainly one of them and it's the only one he planned on saying out loud.

Jesse bit down on the urge to growl something disparaging about his father and his old hometown, because everything he could say had already been said, and it didn't do anyone any good dredging all of that up. So he just rubbed Jayden's back some more and let him continue to use him as a pillow.

"And no one blames you, Jay," he said, shifting into a slightly more comfortable position. "No one can be blamed for their reactions to stress."

Jayden lifted his head, seeking out the tea. "Hey...can we invite David over? He hasn't been here yet and I'd...I just want to see him." David hadn't met Jesse or JJ, and maybe them meeting the boy he was dating would distract them from thinking about his 'issues' or whatever it was they thought he had.

Recognizing it for the change of topic that it was, the topic nonetheless made Jesse smile slightly. "Sure we can, Jay," he agreed. "You call him, I'm going to go and change into something that isn't my ratty pajamas."

Jayden smiled lightly, and JJ found herself missing the bright, shy smiles he used to wear on his face all the time. He pulled out his phone and messaged David as he sipped his tea, letting him know the address and that it would be awesome to see him. He was finally at home and free from nurses poking him every hour.

When he had finished texting, he rested his head against the table and sighed.

David tended to sleep a bit later than usual on Saturdays, since he didn't have classes. But he also slept with his phone right next to his ear, so when Jayden texted him, it woke him up enough to text him back. He shuffled around, pulling on clothes and running a comb through his hair, before getting on the train to the address Jayden had given him.

Jesse had changed into something mostly presentable, so he was the one closest to the door when David rang the bell. "Hey," he said, holding the door open. "You must be David, right? Come on in. Jay, David's here."

Jayden stood from the table, took a second to steady himself, and then loped over to the door. "David!" He didn't know if he was supposed to hug or kiss David upon greeting, because he still wasn't great at this dating stuff yet. Instead he held a hand out to him. "Hey, come on in! This is my brother, Jesse. Jesse, this is David."

David shrugged, feeling embarrassed but pleased. "They only take about two dozen people, so I'm just hoping I'll be one of them. But thank you. I've been dancing since I was six, so I just hope I can do something with that for as long as possible."

"I have, and yeah, he's amazing," he agreed, smiling at Jayden. "I could never do that in a million years. "

Jayden felt himself go red, but he grinned anyway. He really liked that David thought he was amazing at something. "And David is an incredible dancer. I reckon you'll make it," he nodded at David. "D'you want breakfast?"